Jeep has announced the return of the 2027 Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and Overland, restoring two off-road-capable trims that were dropped from the lineup for 2026 when the company cancelled its 4xe plug-in hybrid program.
The Trailhawk gets a 2.0-liter Hurricane 4 Turbo producing 324 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, paired with an 8-speed automatic. Stellantis lists ground clearance at 11.4 inches and approach, breakover, and departure angles of 36, 24.4, and 30.3 degrees; the company characterizes all three as best-in-class for the segment. Towing capacity is 6,200 pounds, also a claimed segment best.
The off-road hardware is specific: Quadra-Trac II with a two-speed transfer case, Selec-Terrain with a dedicated Rock mode, Quadra-Lift air suspension with electronic semi-active damping, a rear electronic limited-slip differential, six high-strength steel skid plates covering the engine, transmission, transfer case, fuel tank, and suspension components, 30.5-inch Goodyear Territory All-Terrain tires on 18-inch wheels, and an integrated TrailCam camera with a dynamic tire-path overlay and rear-camera washer.
The Overland returns alongside the Trailhawk with the same Quadra-Trac II and Quadra-Lift hardware, but without the skid plates, TrailCam, or AT tires. It rides on 21-inch machine-faced wheels and comes with Nappa leather, "Overland" embossing on the front seatbacks, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a standard 360-degree surround camera. It is the trim for buyers who want a two-speed transfer case and air suspension clearance without the trail-specific equipment.
Both arrive later in 2026. Pricing hasn't been announced. Production is set for Stellantis' Detroit Assembly Complex - Mack in Michigan.
For a full year, the Grand Cherokee lineup had no Trail Rated model: no Trailhawk with skid plates and Rock mode, no Overland with a two-speed transfer case and maximum-clearance air suspension. The 2027 announcements close that gap. The more substantive story is why it opened in the first place.
For the past several years, both the Trailhawk and Overland were sold exclusively with the 4xe plug-in hybrid drivetrain. When Jeep discontinued the 4xe in 2026, the two trims went with it. Their return was promised but undated. The 2027 lineup delivers on that promise with a different powertrain than originally planned.
The engine substitution and what it means in the field
The Hurricane 4 Turbo that replaces the 4xe in the Trailhawk is the same turbocharged 2.0-liter that went into the refreshed Grand Cherokee earlier this year. It uses Turbulent Jet Ignition, a pre-chamber combustion technology that follows principles developed in Formula 1 and similar in approach to the system Maserati engineered for the MC20 supercar. The design places a small secondary combustion chamber inside each cylinder, with its own fuel-air mixture and spark plug; that chamber ignites first, then the resulting combustion event propagates into the main chamber in a way that extracts more energy from each burn. The result is 162 horsepower per liter from a 2.0-liter displacement and an EPA-estimated 27 miles per gallon highway. For an engine of this size in a vehicle as large as the Grand Cherokee, those are atypical figures.
For trail use, the torque curve matters as much as the peak output. The Hurricane 4 hits its 332 lb-ft peak at 3,000 rpm, earlier in the rev range than the old Pentastar V6 delivered its torque. In sustained low-range operation on rough terrain, engine speed typically stays in that 2,000-3,500 rpm window, and earlier torque arrival makes throttle response more predictable. The 8-speed automatic's torque converter is also credited in Jeep's materials for contributing to low-speed control.
One open question for anyone considering the Trailhawk for serious technical terrain: the rear differential is an electronic limited-slip unit, not a locking axle. According to enthusiast specification databases, the e-LSD automatically goes to full lock in 4-Lo, which covers most crawling scenarios. It is not, however, manually selectable, and it is not the same hardware as the locking rear on a Wrangler Rubicon. The Drive's reporting independently confirms the Trailhawk does not have "a full-blown locker." For the range of terrain the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk is designed to run, that e-LSD is sufficient; for sustained technical rock work, it is a real distinction.
How the Hurricane 4 manages heat in extended 4-Lo operation is still an open question. The engine has been in production since the 2026 Grand Cherokee refresh. Early coverage from Pickup Truck and SUV Talk flagged reliability concerns worth monitoring, though those reports are preliminary and the reliability picture is still developing.
The Overland: a different use case
The Overland's hardware tells you who it's for. The two-speed transfer case and Quadra-Lift air suspension give it genuine off-road clearance — enough to cover maintained forest roads, muddy two-tracks, and moderate backcountry. The 21-inch wheels that replace the Trailhawk's 18-inch AT setup trade away sand and rock performance for ride quality on pavement. There are no skid plates in the Overland's equipment list.
The interior configuration makes the priorities explicit: Nappa leather, "Overland" embossed on the front seatbacks, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a 360-degree surround camera positioned to help with low-speed maneuvering. It is the configuration for someone whose camping involves a long paved drive followed by the last 15 miles of forest service road, not someone picking a careful line through technical obstacles.
Stellantis did not disclose the Overland's ground clearance figure with Quadra-Lift raised. The only clearance number in the announcement materials is the Trailhawk's 11.4 inches.
What's still unannounced
Pricing will determine where the Trailhawk sits against the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands, Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro, and Land Rover Defender 90 — vehicles that have had a year without a Grand Cherokee competing in the same capable-family-SUV tier.
How we reported this
This article draws on the following primary sources, accessed June 17, 2026:
- Stellantis / Jeep brand press release — prnewswire.com — Manufacturer announcement including all official specifications. Published June 15, 2026.
- The Drive — Grand Cherokee Trailhawk and Overland return coverage — thedrive.com — Editorial coverage confirming the 4xe discontinuation context; includes a Jeep spokesperson confirmation on V6 and Hurricane 4 trim availability across the lineup.
- Motor1 — Hurricane 4 Turbo technical deep dive — motor1.com — Technical breakdown of the Turbulent Jet Ignition system and EPA fuel economy figures.